Page:TheYoungMansGuide.djvu/50

 after Christ,  St.  Matthew  wrote  his  gospel,  there were still  living  a  great  number  of  those  who  had formerly been  among  the  bitter  enemies  of  Christ. How would  they  have  attacked  the  apostle,  had he taken  upon  himself  to  invent  either  facts  or miracles  concerning  the  life  of  Christ!

6. Thus  the  evangelists  stand  before  us  as absolutely  reliable  witnesses  to  the  truth. And herein consists  the  secret  of  the  beauty,  simplicity, sanctity,  and  indestructible  power  of  the holy Gospel. It is  not  the  soul,  the  mind,  the gifts of  the  writers  that  we  find  in  them,  but  the soul, the  mind,  the  thoughts,  the  maxims  of  Him who forms  the  subjects  of  their  writings. Jesus lives in  the  gospels;  He  acts,  He  speaks,  He touches  the  heart,  He  enlightens  and  sanctifies. Venerate, therefore,  these  wondrous  pages  ! Read them  in  a  spirit  of  faith  and  with  a  heart overflowing with  the  love  of  God;  for

In Holy  Scripture  God  His  truth  displays, And yet  its  pages,  read  in  various  ways, Bring faith  to  some;  cause  doubt  in  other  minds : That one  sucks  honey,  this  one  poison  finds.

he heir  of  a  mighty  monarch  once traveling incognito  and  unattended, visited a  lonely  mountain  valley  which  belonged to  his  fathers  dominions. In order that he  might  be  suitably  received,  he  told the inhabitants  his  name  and  his  exalted rank. Since, however,  no  persons  throughout the  valley  had  ever  seen  the  crown  prince,